Our 4th Annual Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Progress Report describes our persistence and shares some highlights of our demonstrated work in four key areas: Health Equity, Employee Engagement and Workforce Data, Pathways to Science, and the complementary activities of the DEI Core department and the Office of Faculty Affairs and Diversity. As you read about our work, we encourage you to take careful note of our collaborative efforts, unifying culture, scientific excellence and impact to the patient experience.
Land Acknowledgment
Fred Hutch Cancer Center acknowledges the Coast Salish peoples of this land, the land which touches the shared waters of all tribes and bands within the Suquamish, Tulalip and Muckleshoot nations.
Labor & Justice Statement
We also acknowledge exploited labor, racist, heterosexist, ableist, xenophobic, religious, sexist, trans-antagonistic and other oppressive violence, and the ongoing struggle for justice on this land. We reflect on the ancestors of our various peoples, nations, tribes and families; ancestors whose struggles, pain, power, privilege and strivings we hold in our very bodies. We recognize, with gratitude, all those whose sacrifice, struggle and labor make our daily freedoms possible, and challenge us to learn, work and live justly.
Values
Fred Hutch Cancer Center values are grounded in and expressed through the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion. Our mission and values guide our energies toward impactful research and compassionate care.
Collaboration: Collaboration for the Future of Science
Compassion: Pursuing Health Equity as Access to Compassionate Care
Determination: Determined to Win
Excellence: Pursuing Inclusive Excellence to Sustain Our Mission
Innovation: Innovative Leadership Extends Our Reach and Impact
Integrity: Our Integrity is Our Bond with Our Patients and Each Other
Respect: Showing Respect Through Inclusion and Affirmation
Learn more about the Fred Hutch Cancer Center Values.
Sustaining Diversity, Equity & Inclusion through the Ethic of Care
Paul M. Buckley, PhD
Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer, Fred Hutch Cancer Center
Fred Hutch Cancer Center is steadfast in advancing our DEI strategy in order to accelerate the mission of curing cancer through research and compassionate care. Our determination is rooted in an honest recognition of our context as an American institution, a complex understanding of DEI history, purpose, and practice, and our obligation to an ethic of care. This abstract outlines our reasons for sustaining commitment to this work, the journey to inclusive excellence, in these times. Read more about our ongoing commitment.
Continued Support for DEI Initiatives
Health Equity Pillars
The formation of the Health Equity Steering Committee (HESC) brings together passionate and action-oriented individuals committed to identifying and reducing disparities within our clinical care delivery, research and clinical trials.
We are excited to present our three-year strategic pillars in:
- Research
- Patient experience and outcomes
- Community engagement and outreach
Each pillar has their own goal, objectives and actions for advancing health equity. Read more about the HESC and the Health Equity Pillars.
From Overlooked to Understood, A Black Woman’s Case Gets the Attention it Deserves
Partnership is key to making patients of color feel respected. Read Terri's story.
Patient Demographic Data
The data shown here highlights our need for additional collection and the opportunity to expand our services to better serve all communities within our catchment area. It is our goal to continue collection of REL (race, ethnicity and language) and SOGI (sexual orientation and gender identity) data for all our patients so that no patient will be “unknown”… because we care.
Patients by Age
Patients by Ethnicity
Patients by Gender
The unknown number in this data is large because, in the past, information about patients’ gender was not a required demographic metric. We are changing our policies to align with state laws and best practices and will start collecting patient-reported gender identity information in January.
Patients by Language
Highest ranking 15 languages.
Patients by Race
Patients by Sex
Employee Engagement and Workforce Data
I Chose Fred Hutch Because…
Employee-Engagement Survey Delivers Welcome News on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
The survey, done in October and November of 2023, was only a “pulse check” at a specific point in time, and individuals’ experiences do vary. However, the results were a welcome sign that the organization is largely achieving the climate it seeks to foster. Read more about the engagement survey.
Employee Data
Our workforce reflects an increasingly diverse organization of talented scientists, clinicians and professionals who are committed to the mission and values of Fred Hutch. In our work toward inclusive excellence, we are beginning to see the results of DEI best practices followed by committed leaders and departments across the center reflected in our workforce.
Gender: The current Gender categories are "Female," "Male" and "Other.”
Race/ethnicity: Available racial/ethnic data include “American Indian,” “Asian,” “Black,” “Hispanic,” “Pacific Islander,” “White,” “Two or more” and “Not Specified.” For individuals who identify as “Two or more” we do not have information on which specific groups they identify with. Given the small numbers for some of these groups we created two variables, defined as follows:
- Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC): Includes all people who have indicated that they identify with at least one of the following categories: “American Indian,” “Asian,” “Black,” “Hispanic,” “Pacific Islander” and/or “Two or more.”
- Underrepresented Minority (URM): This grouping is based on the National Institutes of Health definition and includes people who identify with one of the following categories: “American Indian,” “Black,” “Hispanic” or “Pacific Islander.” We recognize that there is some amount of undercounting present since we could not identify and include individuals who identify with “Two or more” racial/ethnic groups when one of those groups is URM group.
Some individuals with known identifiers in multiple categories are counted in each.
Gender and Racial/Ethnic Composition of Different Sectors of the Fred Hutch Workforce
- The overall workforce for Fred Hutch has grown from 5,772 in FY23 to 6,162 in FY24.
- Our executive leadership, while overwhelmingly homogenous racially/ethnically, continues to diversify with 19% BIPOC and 57% women leaders. Four years ago, there were no BIPOC identified executive leaders.
- Overall BIPOC employee representation remains steady. BIPOC faculty has grown from 34% in FY23 to 36% this year.
- The most significant diversity-expansive growth in our workforce is demonstrated in the clinical arm of the enterprise with 862 new employees and increased number of employees from Hispanic and Black backgrounds.
- Fred Hutch still has opportunity to expand underrepresented minorities in our workforce at all levels, from trainee to executive leadership, and to systematize the collection of expanded categories of diversity.
Percentage of Total Hires by Category
- Over the past year, we have increased our BIPOC people manager hires while maintaining our overall percentage of new hires in this category.
- Hispanic/Latine new hires have increased from 8% (FY23) to 10% this year.
- We are now tracking employees who are female and BIPOC who represent a little less than a third of our workforce (31%) and 21% of our people managers. They are most present in our clinical operations.
- While BIPOC new hires have remained fairly consistent overall, hires from underrepresented racial/ethnic backgrounds have almost doubled over the past year to 41%.
- Fred Hutch has opportunity to strengthen our staff retention efforts to sustain our workforce inclusion efforts.
Pathways to Science
The Postbaccalaureate Scholar program was developed in 2023 and will give historically excluded groups of people opportunities to gain the experience and knowledge necessary to go to grad school. Many basic sciences division labs have already accepted postbaccalaureate scholars for fiscal year 2024. Read more about our Postbaccalaureate Scholar program.
The Office of Education & Training (OET) houses programs committed to training the next generation of scientists, with a commitment to increasing access and creating pathways for people who have been historically excluded from science.
The Faculty Development Program supports the success of Fred Hutch faculty through cohort-based programming to enhance mentoring and leadership skills, and to provide professional development resources.
Intentional efforts are currently under way to build new relationships with Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine and Spelman College through the collaborative efforts of Science Education, DEI Core and faculty in Computational Biology, Erick Matsen, Arvind “Rasi” Subramaniam and Phil Bradley. Fred Hutch was a sponsor for the Annual Research Day and Graduate and Career Fair at Spelman College this year. Internship experience included a cultural enrichment component that exposed interns to sense-of-place activities and Black history and community in the greater Seattle area.
The Postbaccalaureate Scholar program was developed in 2023 and will give historically excluded groups of people opportunities to gain the experience and knowledge necessary to go to grad school. Many basic sciences division labs have already accepted postbaccalaureate scholars for fiscal year 2024.
This program supports underrepresented undergraduate students to gain skills and confidence in statistics and data science with the goal of grounding their belonging the field.
During summer 2023, the Computational Biology Summer Intern Program had 16 interns. The program included career opportunities and social activities for underrepresented students working towards their future in STEM fields.
The Informatics Technology for Cancer Research program supports researchers to develop informatics technology for cancer research and treatment for more diverse participation within the field.
The DataTrail program equips members of underserved communities with skills and support to work in data science.
The Geonomics Data Science Community Network includes a network of faculty at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), Hispanic-serving institutions (HSI), universities and community colleges working toward improving access and education in genomics.
PCSR is currently developing an internship program for medical assistant phlebotomy students from Renton Technical College.
DEI Core and Office of Faculty Affairs and Diversity (OFAD) Initiatives
Fred Hutch remains committed to improving diversity, equity and inclusion for employees and the communities we serve. The 2024 Annual DEI Summit — the DEI Core’s fourth — united nearly 200 delegates and executive leaders to reaffirm the critical integration of DEI work to accelerate our mission to improve human health.
The summit’s theme, Aligning our Actions for Critical Change, reflects the DEI Core’s refreshed, forward-looking strategic plan designed to expand equity-conscious research and ensure both the highest-quality patient experience and inclusive clinical care. Our new strategy will also enhance Fred Hutch’s workforce diversity.
Key Activities and Efforts of the DEI Core in FY24
Fearless IDEAs Education Initiative
The DEI Core continues to encourage employee engagement in the Fearless IDEAs Education Initiative, designed to improve employees’ understanding of various DEI principles and how to integrate these into an individual’s work role. To date, more than 93% of employees have completed the Bias Mitigation Education module. Participants report that the modules have expanded their understanding of how they can implement DEI principles into their own work and help ensure a refreshed commitment to personal progress.
"I'm really glad to have the tools to fall back on because I know emotions can run high when bias is in play. I've seen team members model this behavior and it really makes a difference in the work environment."
- Fred Hutch employee
Additionally, this year we released the Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity Spectrum: LGBTQIA+ Inclusion in Cancer Care, Research, and Work Environments, which is now at 68.1% completion rate center wide.
"Formal [education] such as these are an important supplemental to our real and shared experiences in professional and personal areas. I appreciate the opportunity to test my understanding of the nuances and perspectives of others."
- Fred Hutch employee
During the 2024 DEI Summit, we piloted the Building Inclusive Teams course, which will be released in FY25. As the center learns and grows together, we recognize and encourage demonstrated engagement with our educational content. This builds our organizational capacity to courageously pursue our mission toward inclusive excellence and compassionate care.
Bias Mitigation Education Completion
SOGI Spectrum Completion
Bias Mitigation Education Completion by Division: All Employees
SOGI Spectrum Completion by Division: All Employees
Gender-Inclusive and Accessible Spaces Initiative
The Gender-Inclusive and Accessible Spaces Initiative continues to make progress, including updated, consistent signage, improved access to all-gender restrooms in high-traffic areas and better entry access.
Indigenous Initiatives
In the last year, we also launched the Indigenous Initiatives. These include a newly created Indigenous Initiatives Program Manager role to facilitate engagement with the interests of Native communities. This will support efforts to decolonize cultures at Fred Hutch and connect Indigenous knowledge and methods to cancer research and care.
BIPOC Caucus
To continuously improve workplace culture and sense of belonging, the Black, Indigenous and People of Color Caucus offers community-building, networking and professional growth opportunities for employees in these communities. The BIPOC Caucus fosters community and professional growth through virtual shared learning and in-person networking events. The Caucus meets monthly and this year we launched in-person Fall and Spring Networking Receptions hosted by community vendors aligned with our supplier diversity goals.
BIPOC Fall Networking Luncheon, November 2023
Inclusion Quality Index
In 2024, our chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer began building the Inclusion Quality Index to measure progress. The IQI will ultimately include six measurement domains, including salient social identity, employee participation in DEI learning workshops, and inclusive experience and engagement. The IQI will deliver diversity-based insights about our progress and opportunities that will facilitate improved candidate attraction as well as increased employee engagement in DEI initiatives.
Inclusive Excellence in Recruitment & Retention
The Inclusive Excellence in Recruitment & Retention plan recognizes that a diverse, equitable and innovative workplace culture supports excellence in research and cancer care. The IXRR’s initial stages focused on building the strategies and infrastructure needed to improve candidate attraction, onboarding, manager education and career development.
Key Activities and Efforts of the Office of Faculty Affairs and Diversity in FY24
In collaboration with the DEI Core, the Office of Faculty Affairs and Diversity continues to provide processes and metrics that support a diverse, inclusive faculty. OFAD tracks faculty metrics and helps assess faculty satisfaction. The office also provides funding and mentorship opportunities to early-career scientists, from students to postdoctoral fellows, as they lay the foundation for their academic careers.
Dr. Eddie Méndez Symposium and Trainee Support
At the sixth annual Dr. Eddie Méndez Symposium, eight outstanding postdoctoral fellows in cancer, infectious disease and basic science received Dr. Eddie Méndez Scholar Awards. The Diverse Trainee Fund and the newly launched Presidential Postdoc Fellowship Program (in partnership with the Office of Education & Training) help support trainees from underrepresented minority groups. The Student Fellowship Award supports Diversity Supplement students as they transition to new funding sources.
Inaugural Faculty Satisfaction Survey
We conducted Fred Hutch’s first ever faculty-wide satisfaction survey using an instrument developed by Harvard School of Education that has been utilized by more than 300 academic institutions. With a strong 72% response rate, we learned that overall satisfaction among Fred Hutch faculty is high and on almost every metric compares favorably to selected peer institutions. Subgroups of faculty consistently rank the high quality of colleagues and the center’s academic freedom as the best aspects of Fred Hutch. Compensation and the high cost of living in Seattle are consistently ranked as the institution’s worst aspects. Satisfaction among female and male faculty scored similarly. The three groups with consistently lower satisfaction are faculty at the rank of Associate Professor, faculty in underrepresented racial and ethnic minority groups, and faculty with young children. We have developed a detailed plan, to be pursued over the next few years, to address concerns surfaced by this survey. This survey is designed to be repeated every three years and we look forward to continuing to monitor our progress.
Recruitment of Faculty Focused on Cancer Disparities Experienced by Indigenous Populations
This year we were successful in recruiting two new faculty members who will advance Fred Hutch’s capacity to conduct research that addresses cancer disparities experienced by Indigenous Populations.
Lonnie Nelson, PhD, a descendant of the Eastern Band Cherokee (Ani Kituwah), received his graduate degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Arizona. Prior to joining Fred Hutch, he served as chair of the Department of Nursing and Systems Science in the College of Nursing at Washington State University. Lonnie’s research program focuses on developing and testing behavioral and lifestyle interventions directed toward addressing health disparities experienced by American Indian and Alaska Native communities. His work has spanned a wide range of exposures and diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, sleep health, suicide prevention and alcohol use disorders. In collaboration with Jonathan Bricker, PhD, he is conducting a randomized controlled trial to assess a digital smoking cessation intervention among American Indian and Alaska Native people. He is a Professor in the Cancer Prevention Program in the Public Health Sciences Division.
Dornell Pete, PhD, MPH, grew up on the Navajo Nation (Diné) in New Mexico and received her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from Fort Lewis College, her MPH in Environmental Health and Epidemiology from Yale, and her PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Washington. Dornell’s research is focused on the cancer-causing bacterium Helicobacter pylori and stomach cancer among adults from the Navajo Nation. She is interested in developing interventions to curb the considerable disparities in stomach cancer experienced by Navajo people. In her work she centers communities throughout the entire process of research, from determining what health inequities are of greatest urgency and require in-depth research, to involving partners in the design and conduct of studies, to the dissemination of results back to communities. She is an Assistant Professor in the Epidemiology Program in the Public Health Sciences Division.
Development of a New Partnership with the Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials Award Program
Established in 2020, this is the nation’s premier program for supporting the next generation of health professionals focused on advancing the diversity of participants in clinical trials. Fred Hutch was selected as a site for an intensive six-week Winn summer program focused on engaging medical students from underrepresented backgrounds. The goal of this program is to improve the diversity of clinical trial participants by enhancing the diversity of the researchers who conduct those trials. In 2023, we welcomed our inaugural eight Winn Scholars from across the country. Their experience on conducting clinical trials included a research component and shadowing of Fred Hutch and UW oncologists. Our efforts led to our renewal as a site for this program, and we welcomed our second class of scholars in the summer of 2024.
In pursuing these efforts to make our workforce, research and clinical care as diverse and inclusive as possible, Fred Hutch stands as a DEI-committed leader in health equity and workplace culture in our region and beyond.
Our Path Forward
Firmly grounded in our commitment to accelerate our mission, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion energizes and empowers us to excel in innovative research and care practices. Our workforce is learning and growing together in service to our patients. Our capacity for compassion and empathy toward each other and those for whom we provide care is expanding inclusively and demonstrating our purpose for data collection, measures, and programmatic initiatives. As we continue to build a unified culture of inclusive excellence, we are deepening and advancing our values in all operations of our enterprise. Our DEI strategy remains coherent, cohesive, collaborative, and consistent. We are determined to activate new practices that are promising, data informed, human centered, transformative, and principled. We continue to challenge ourselves to meet the urgency of our mission. We must and will do more!
Questions? Contact diversity@fredhutch.org
Written by: Dr. Paul Buckley, Sierra Bigting, Laurie Fronek, John Higgins, Bonnie Rochman, Sabrina Richards, John Kubalak
Designed by: Stephanie Liszewski and Jeremy Webb